Soulmates
by joanna77
Summary: An AU fic. Donna is called to GW, the President was fired at, but where is her husband?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was written for the Soulmates challenge (at JDFF), I wrote the second installment first (with the Stackhouse filibuster) but then realized that it didn't make any sense without this story. **

**Disclaimer: You'll recognize some lines from the original episode, those are Sorkin's of course, as are all the characters, I'm just playing with them.**

**  
Soulmates**

* * *

Donna entered the room, she didn't know what she would find there, but one thing was sure, her husband was there, he was going to take her in his arms and she would feel safe once again. When she heard the news that there were shots fired at the President of the United States a fog descended upon her mind. She couldn't believe that someone had enough hatred in them to hurt one of the greatest minds that ever occupied the office of the President and a nice, kind man who had a family to live for. Donna met the President a few times before but she was a bit intimidated in his presence. Back when he was Governor Bartlet they had an interesting encounter but as soon as he took the oath of office, Donna couldn't muster the same courage.

"I'm sorry, they told me I should come back here? I'm sorry. Is there word on the President?" she asked, looking to Sam and CJ.

"The President's going to be fine," CJ reassured her. Donna didn't register that there was a strain in CJ's voice.

"Oh, thank God." Donna sighed and felt the fog lifting from her mind. "Oh, thank God, that's the best news I've ever heard. I got here as fast as I could. I had a hard time getting in. I had… I had to find an agent who knew me, and I was shaking. I was just… I didn't know…

"Donna," Toby addressed her, and then took a deep breath. "Josh was hit."

"Hit with what?" she asked, apparently her mind still in a haze.

"He was shot… in the chest," he clarified.

"He's in surgery right now," CJ supplied.

"I don't understand. I don't understand, is… is it serious?" Donna felt all blood drain from her body; she couldn't understand what CJ and Toby were saying.

Finally, Toby stood up and approached her. He put his arms around her waist and led her to one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room.

"Donna, it's critical," he answered with brutal honesty. "The bullet collapsed his lung and damaged a major artery," he added then.

"I was just saying," the doctor started speaking, "we can't make you very comfortable here, and the procedure's likely to take 12 to 14 hours. We won't know anything until morning. I'm sure there are things you're supposed to be attending to right now, so if you like we can stay in contact with your homes and offices throughout the night. He asked for his wife, so I'm going to wait for Mrs. Lyman…" he said, and Donna's mind registered his words, as if they were the buoy in her mind of a stormy sea.

"May I see my husband?" Donna asked then, looking at the doctor.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know…" the doctor apologized. "Of course, Mrs. Lyman. Here we go."

"Thank you," Donna said, turning back to the others. "He is going to be alright, I know that. You go back to the White House and do what you have to do. Josh would tell the same. I will keep you posted."

The doctor brought her back and told her to wait there. While she was praying for a successful surgery, she didn't notice that someone approached her.

"Donna?"

She turned slowly and finally recognized the voice. It was Leo McGarry, Josh's boss and mentor.

"Hi, Mr. McGarry," she greeted him with a shaky smile.

"Hi, Donna. Listen, I'm sure he is going to be okay," Leo told her, and Donna decided then and there that Leo McGarry was her favorite person in the world. After Josh, of course.

"I know," she said with a nod. "He is too stubborn to leave the running of the country to others."

Leo chuckled at that and then hugged her. Donna was grateful that he did, and she clung to him like he was her lifeline.

"Donna?" came another, slightly familiar voice while she had her head buried in Leo's shoulder.

"Dr. Bartlet!" Donna exclaimed. "How is the President, ma'am?"

"He is okay, honey, don't worry about him. Dr. Chambers said you wanted to see Josh?"

"If that's allowed," Donna said after a nod.

"Yes, come with me, please. Leo?"

"I'm going back to run the country until Jed and Josh are ready to do it instead of me," Leo told the two women with a crooked smile. He stalked off, his agents flanking him.

"Okay," Abbey Bartlet said and then took hold of Donna's hand. "I didn't know you married Josh."

"Yesterday," Donna told her. "We didn't want to make a big deal out of it. We couldn't find the time to organize a wedding. Sarah was okay with it, my parents were okay with it, and we thought if we ever get some vacation time, we would rather spend it on a honeymoon than on wedding preparations."

"That sounds logical to me," Abbey Bartlet said, and then stopped Donna. "Okay, Donna, this isn't going to be easy. Are you sure you want to see him?"

"Yeah," Donna said with a nod.

"His chest was cracked open, Donna," Abbey warned her.

"They stopped his heart, I know," Donna said. "I have to see him, Dr. Bartlet."

"Okay then."

And she found herself behind a Plexiglas window, watching the surgeons operate on Josh. Her husband, Josh. She knew that God can't be so cruel as to take him away from her now that they were married. It just can't happen. While sending another prayer to God, she grabbed her locket that held a picture of her and him. It was a gift from Josh; he gave it to her yesterday after the ceremony.

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

**Soulmates**

As she was standing there, she remembered the first gift he gave to her. It was a badge, his badge.

* * *

"Hello?" Donna heard someone call into the campaign office. "Good morning," an unfamiliar male voice said and Donna heard Jessica return the greeting.

"Coming!" she shouted back, letting Jessica know that she was on her way. She cursed under her breath, the coffee ruined her badge. It was the one thing she was so proud of, she almost broke out in tears because of it. She tried to salvage what was left, but it was truly ruined.

"Where is everyone?" the voice asked when she rounded the corner. He was tall and handsome, if somewhat rumpled. He had curly brown hair and had a backpack slung across his shoulder. She decided to stay out of his sight for a few more seconds. It was not an everyday occurrence that the Political Director of the campaign you worked for visited the campaign office.

"What can I do for you?" Jessica, her assistant, asked, ignoring the question.

"I'm looking for a…" he started to say and then looked down at the piece of paper he held in his hand, "Thomas Taylor."

"He is not with the campaign anymore," Jessica informed the man. "Can I help you? Ms. Moss is here and…"

"Who is Ms. Moss? And where are the other people?" he asked impatiently.

"If I could have your name…"

"He is Josh Lyman, Jessica. The Political Director of this campaign."

"I assume you are Ms. Moss. Maybe you could answer my question. Where is everyone?"

"Yup, I'm Donatella Moss. Acting Office Manager," she said. "And I just sent everyone out to greet the Governor. They had banners and signs and posters."

"That's great, but who is manning the phones and doing all the work while they are out?"

"Jessica and I are on the phones, although with the Governor being here there is not much going on. Any other work will have to wait. I didn't want a repeat performance of the Maine-fiasco," Donna explained. "My office is this way."

"The Maine-fiasco?" Josh asked back while following her into the office.

"I don't know what you named it but it had fiasco written all over it. I mean there was practically no one there to greet the next President of the United States," Donna explained. "Please, take a seat."

"Yeah, CJ dubbed it 'The Maine-Debacle'. I like the fiasco version slightly better. And I guess a 'well done' is in order. I saw the crowd, it's impressive," Josh praised her, and even if he said it in a slightly patronizing voice, it meant a lot to Donna.

"Yeah, I asked them to bring as many friends and family members as they can," Donna told him.

"Okay," Josh said.

"Hmmm… You wanted to talk to Thomas?"

"Yeah, but I guess I have to talk to you now, seeing that you are the Acting Office Manager," he said with a smile, and Donna saw his dimples the first time. For a moment she was thrown off balance but then quickly recovered, she didn't want him to think that she was a complete basket case.

"And what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, we want to increase the efficiency of the offices throughout the country and we wanted to ask you for your input since the Madison office is doing better than the average. We are making a list of 'dos' and 'don'ts', based on the experience of the campaign offices," Josh said.

"Well, that seems to be a good idea," Donna said, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"I feel a big 'but' coming my way," Josh said with a grin full with dimples.

"Yeah," Donna smiled apologetically. "'Dos' and 'don'ts' only work when they are applied to the same conditions. And since the conditions are different in–let's say–Maine and Wisconsin, I don't think that a general list would help."

"Could you tell this to Leo McGarry?" Josh asked her with another grin.

"No, certainly not," Donna protested.

"But it's your conviction," Josh said taken aback.

"Yeah. Listen, Mr. Lyman…"

"Josh," Josh corrected her.

"Listen, Josh, I'm not good around authority, I tend to clam up," Donna admitted.

"But you didn't have any problem telling me," Josh said perplexed.

"Well…" Donna said with a smirk.

"Oh, you mean I'm not authoritative enough?" Josh asked in mock hurt.

"Well, if the shoe fits," Donna said.

"It's the backpack, right?" Josh asked back with a sigh.

"And the dimples," Donna said with a grin.

"Dimples?"

"You have dimples, Josh," Donna told him. "And you are a bit rumpled, and considering that the day just began I daresay that it's not an unusual look for you."

"Well, it's not me who is sporting a big coffee stain on her blouse," Josh sparred.

"The mug's handle broke off and the coffee ruined my badge," Donna said teary eyed. It was getting more and more difficult to hold back those tears.

"You are a remarkable woman, Donatella Moss," Josh said then.

"Why?" she asked, suppressing a sob.

"You are worried about your badge but not about your blouse?" Josh asked back with a chuckle.

"Well, I have this blouse six times at home," Donna said.

"The same blouse?" Josh asked back.

"A similar one," Donna said. "I bought them at the Thanksgiving sale," she explained.

"I see," Josh said.

"I'm a girl on a budget, Mr. Lyman," Donna said coldly.

"Now, no need to get hostile. I said I understood," Josh said and then he did something amazing, he handed her his 'Bartlet for America' badge. "Here. Take this until you have a new one."

"But it's yours and…"

"I have two," Josh said.

"Why?"

"Okay, I think where first impressions are concerned I pretty much blew it so I might as well come clean. I'm helpless; I misplace my badges three-four times a day."

"Why do you get them off?"

"When I meet a Senator or a Congressman I take it off," Josh said.

"I see, but why don't you stick it into your pocket?" Donna asked.

"Well, that's what I do," Josh said.

"So does that mean that you are misplacing your jackets?" Donna asked and he nodded. "Whoa, that's an image. The country is littered with Joshua Lyman's jackets."

"Littered?"

"Why don't you ask your assistant to retrieve your jackets?" Donna asked, ignoring his question.

"I don't have an assistant, Ms. Moss," Josh confessed in a whisper.

"Donna. And why not? I mean you are an important staff member of this campaign, surely…"

"Yeah, I generally have one, but they usually quit after a few days," Josh admitted.

"Really? And why is that?" Donna asked, but it wasn't Josh who answered her question.

"Because he aggravates them," a balding man said, and Donna recognized Toby Ziegler.

"The yelling doesn't help either," a handsome man added. Sam Seaborn, Donna identified him.

"No, Sam, yelling the WRONG name doesn't help," a tall woman said, and Donna got a bit star struck by the time she realized that with the arrival of CJ Cregg the entire senior advisor team was gathered in her office.

"Ah, I see," Donna said, sending a grin at Josh. "And you have to go, right?"

"We were actually looking for you," CJ said. "We would like to thank you for sending out the volunteers and office workers. It looked good on TV. And it helped to avoid another 'Maine-Debacle."

"Fiasco," Josh corrected her.

"Excuse me?"

"Donna calls it 'The Main-Fiasco,'" Josh explained.

"Ah, I see," CJ said, flashing a smile at Donna.

* * *

That was the day her life changed for ever. Leo McGarry visited the campaign office later, and made Donna an offer she couldn't refuse. He asked her to be part of the advance team with the clear task to get the campaign offices in shape. Donna agreed and until the elections she did the same job over and over again. Three days before the Governor arrived she traveled with the advance team to the location. She visited the campaign office in question, pretending she was a volunteer. She assessed the weaknesses and the strengths of the office, made a recommendation to Josh. They did whatever they had to do and then Donna was sent to the next location. She met Josh three times until Election Day. At the O'Hare on the night of the Illinois Primary, at the Convention and then at the farm in New Hampshire three days prior to the elections.

_TBC_

_If you liked it, please leave a review. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Soulmates**

As she watched him lying on the operating table she prayed again for his safe return. She told Abbey Bartlet she knew they had to stop Josh's heart but that didn't mean that she wasn't frightened by the idea. Josh's heart, his strong, brave, kind heart wasn't beating. She wanted to cry but found herself unable to do so. There was a lump in her throat, she felt her eyes stinging with the unshed tears but she wasn't able to cry. Just like Josh wasn't able to cry on that night at the airport.

* * *

"Josh." She was surprised to see him there.

"Donna?" he was just as surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I was stuck here, Leo asked me to stay in the Chicago office, I think he had a hunch that we'd win the Illinois primary," Donna said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"My dad…" Josh started to say, but wasn't able to utter a word after that.

"What happened?"

"He went for his chemotherapy today," he said, his eyes misty, but Donna saw no tears. She knew the feeling; she was the same, never one to cry at the event, only afterwards. Two-three days afterwards when it hit her with full force. Someone said it was a sign that she repressed her feelings, that she misdirected them, but Donna thought it was completely normal. In the event of something bad someone had to keep a cool head. Someone who wouldn't break down and be the rock the others relied on. That's what happened when her grandmother died. The family broke down except Donna and her father. They took care of the burial and everything else that had to be taken care of while the others grieved. Only after her mother was strong enough did Donna allowed herself to grieve.

She let Josh collect himself before she asked again.

"What happened at the hospital?"

"He had a pulmonary embolism. It's a blood clot," Josh said. "He died."

"Oh, Josh," Donna said and then did something unexpected, she hugged Josh. "I'm so sorry, Josh. Do you want me to come with you? I could change my ticket and…"

"That'd be good," Josh said but then shook his head. "You have to go to California. We need you there."

"Josh…"

"No, it's okay. I'll be okay," Josh said.

"Call me when you land," Donna said.

"You'll be in the air," Josh pointed out.

"Call me after I land," Donna said.

"Okay," Josh said with a nod.

_American Airlines Flight 615 to Los Angeles International now boarding…_

"That's my flight," Donna said with a sad smile.

"Take care of yourself," Josh told her.

"I will," Donna said. "My heartfelt condolences to your family."

"It's just my mom and my little sister, Hannah," Josh told her.

"Tell your mom and sister that they will be in my prayers," Donna said, gave him a kiss on the cheek and then hurried away, only then noticing the four black-suited men that encircled them.

She turned around and saw Governor Bartlet taking a seat next to Josh. She smiled and knew that Josh would be okay. Her eyes met with Leo's and they both nodded. A silent understanding passed between them, based on the similar feelings of worry for Josh.

* * *

Donna didn't notice Leo stepping into the observation room.

"Observation rooms always gave me the creeps," he remarked with a frown.

_TBC_

_Tell me what you think so far:)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Soulmates **

* * *

"Why would anyone need observation rooms in a hospital?" Leo asked. 

"This is also a teaching hospital, medical students come here to watch procedures," Donna explained offhandedly.

"Ah, that makes sense then," Leo said, and inched closer. "Are you okay, Donna?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, feeling everything but fine.

"Yeah, that's what Josh tends to say when he feels crappy," Leo said.

"Yeah, I know. He had a pretty bad cold a month ago. He said he was fine and wanted to go to work on Sunday, he thought it was Monday, that's how 'fine' he was," Donna said with a chuckle.

"Abbey told me you two got married," Leo said then.

"We wanted to keep it simple," Donna said, her voice defensive.

"Hey, I'm not judging you, I should be the last one to do so. If your respective parents were okay with it, I don't mind," he reassured her.

"Yeah, Sarah said she didn't mind because all she wanted were grandchildren, and my parents didn't mind because they wanted me to settle down," Donna explained.

"Yeah, no pressure there," Leo remarked sarcastically, eliciting a broad smile from Donna.

"Thank you, Leo," she addressed him the first time with his given name rather than with Mr. McGarry. "For everything you've done and for everything you'll surely do."

Leo nodded in response and then left the observation room. He, just like Toby, wasn't one who accepted praise well. That became clear for her on the night of the convention.

* * *

"Josh, Donna is here," Donna heard Sam announce her. 

"Hey!" Josh greeted her with a sweet smile.

"Hi!" Donna greeted the assembled campaign staffers in the hotel war room. "Mr. McGarry, I don't want to jinx it, but you lead a fantastic campaign."

"Thank you, Donna," Leo McGarry mumbled and then left the room, citing some meeting with the Governor.

"Toby, the Governor's stump speech about inner-city schools was fabulous," Donna turned to the speechwriter.

Toby took praise even worse than Leo, he tucked his head and then slunk off.

"How do you know it wasn't my speech?" Sam asked her.

"It had statistics in it," Donna said.

"Well," Sam said, startled that someone already figured out which speech was his and which was Toby's.

"And the speech about alternative energy sources was very inspiring, Sam," Donna said.

"Thank you," Sam beamed.

"It's good to see you," Josh added in a low voice.

"It's good to see you too, Josh," Donna said. And it was. This was their first meeting after his dad's funeral and she looked forward to it but not without some trepidation. They crossed some line at the airport, and she didn't know how to act around Josh. "How are you?" she asked then, deciding it was a safe topic.

"I'm fine," Josh said, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, I can see that. Okay, simple questions, simple answers. Can you do that?"

"I guess so," Josh said, and Sam chuckled.

"What did you eat for breakfast?"

"Something made of beans?" Josh asked back a bit unsurely.

"That would be coffee," Donna said with a sigh, and Josh nodded with a boyish grin. "And what did you eat for lunch?"

"It had tomato and lettuce in it," Josh said defensively.

"So a burger and French fries with ketchup," Donna surmised. "And how much did you sleep in the last 72 hours?"

"I take power naps," Josh answered.

"So to summarize this, you can't play simple questions, simple answers, you think you are funny and you lied about being fine," Donna said, looking at him pointedly. At that point Sam was barely able to withhold his laughter. "And you, Mr. Seaborn, what did you have for lunch?"

"Wheat, meat, vegetables, some kind of dairy product and fruits," Sam said with a shrug.

"So a burger with fries and a cherry cheesecake?" Donna asked back with a stern voice.

"It was a Very Berry Cheesecake," Sam corrected her.

"Yeah, big difference," Donna said. "Okay, so you two are not fine. I'm going to talk to CJ, if you'd excuse me," she informed them and then left the conference room.

"Oh, man, we are so busted," Donna heard Sam talking to Josh.

"She didn't ask about my mom," Josh said with a hurt in his voice, Donna almost went back into the room but she didn't want them to know she had been eavesdropping.

"Hi, CJ," Donna greeted the older woman when she let her into her hotel room.

"Hi, Donna. I understand we'll be roommates for the convention," CJ said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. There was some misunderstanding about the reservations," Donna said.

"No problem, this room is too big for one person anyway," CJ said. "You want something? We could call room service," she said.

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Donna said a bit distracted.

"What's wrong?" CJ said after they ordered their salads.

"I… Josh… I…," Donna tried to express her thoughts but didn't succeed.

"What did Idiot Boy do again?" CJ asked with an exasperated sigh.

"She… He…" Donna was still not able to form a coherent sentence.

"Oh my God! Is the witch back?"

"Witch?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, Josh's ex, Mandy," CJ said. "They broke up in January, she wormed her way back in March but he dumped her after his father's funeral," CJ informed her. "She is not back, is she?"

"I don't know, we didn't talk about her," Donna said, a feeling of angst overwhelming her.

"What happened?"

"I hurt Josh's feelings," Donna said.

"How, when, why?" CJ asked her, eying her suspiciously.

"I asked him how he was and he said fine and we had some banter thing going on and then I left for you to tell on them and then I overheard him telling Sam that I didn't ask about her mother," Donna got it out at light speed.

"Why should you have?" CJ asked.

"I guess because I told him that I'd pray for her," Donna confessed.

"When?"

"When we met at the O'Hare, just before he flew off to the funeral," Donna explained.

"I see. And why didn't you ask about his mother?"

"I talked to her sister yesterday. I asked HER about their mother," Donna said, her voice getting louder. "She said her mother was okay and that they had a wonderful day at the beach. We had a completely nice conversation about Yo-Yo Ma."

"Ah, I see, good ol' misunderstanding," CJ said with a smile. "We'll clear that up in a minute." With that she picked up the receiver and asked for Josh's room. He wasn't there so she asked for Sam's room, but they weren't there either. She asked then for Toby's room and had luck. "Hey, Toby, it's CJ, could you put Idiot Boy on the line please?"

"Which one?" Donna heard Toby on the speakerphone.

"Yeah, that's a good question," CJ said with a chuckle. "Josh."

"Hey, CJ, did Donna tell on us already?" Josh asked snidely.

"No, she didn't," CJ told him, and judging by the silence she rendered Josh speechless. "Mi amore, say something."

"She didn't?"

"No, she didn't. All she was talking about was your sister. I understand they are both fans of Yo-Yo Ma," CJ said.

"Donna talked to my sister?" Josh asked back after another minute of silence.

"Well, she was checking on your mom, and your sister picked up," CJ informed him and was greeted with the dial tone.

One minute later, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Hi there, Josh," CJ greeted her friend. "I'll leave the two of you alone; you can even eat my salad."

"Okay. Thank you, Claudia Jean," Josh said in a soft voice. "You like Yo-Yo Ma?" he asked after the door closed.

"Yo-Yo Ma rules!" she said with a little sob.

"Yeah, that's what Hannah keeps saying," Josh said with a chuckle. "How was your flight?"

"It was okay, I guess," Donna said.

"I didn't ask about you," Josh said, hanging his head in shame. "How are you?"

"I've been better," Donna said honestly.

"What's wrong?" Josh asked.

"Josh, I heard you," Donna told him.

"What did you hear?" He was clearly confused.

"You told Sam that I didn't ask about your mom," Donna said.

"That's because I didn't know you called my sister," Josh said, looking truly apologetically.

"You thought I was a heartless bitch?" Donna asked him, her voice cold.

"No, that's why it threw me off balance," Josh explained. "You really checked on my mother?"

"Every week since the funeral," Donna said with a nod. "You need to call more often."

"Okay," Josh agreed. "You are amazing, you know that?" he asked her, stepping one step closer.

"Ask me again," Donna told him.

"How are you?" Josh asked, apparently knowing what she was out for.

"I'm pretty good, thank you. And how are you?"

"I'm tired, but I'm also excited and now that you are here I feel somehow happy," Josh said.

"Thank you for your honesty," Donna said and kissed him on the cheek.

Josh gave a light kiss on her lips, and they were about to deepen the kiss when room service arrived.

* * *

They didn't kiss a second time because Josh had to go to the Convention Center, but they agreed on phone calls every other day. And then kept calling each other every day. 

Donna had to leave the observation room for a few minutes, and on her way back she ran into Zoey Bartlet.

_TBC_

_Tell me what you think, leave a review, please. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Soulmates**

* * *

Zoey was pretty shaken but Donna saw that her face lit up when she recognized her.

"Donna," she cried out and then threw herself into Donna's arms.

"Hey, Zoey," Donna greeted her. "Is your father okay?"

"Yeah, the operation was successful," Zoey informed her. "How is Josh?"

"He is still in," Donna motioned towards the operating room.

"And how are you?" Zoey asked her, watching her face.

"I have been better but I can't quite remember those times right now," Donna said. And even if she did remember the better times in the observation room, they were tainted now. Tainted by the fear that only the memories would keep her company for the rest of her life. She didn't give up Josh, she knew he was a fighter, but his injures were very serious, his condition critical.

"You remember that day on the farm, Donna?" Zoey asked her.

"Yeah," Donna said with a nod and a fond smile.

"Keep remembering that, Josh said it was one of the best days of his life," Zoey said.

"Really?" Donna asked back.

"Yeah, he told me on Election Day when I asked him whether that was one the best days of his life," Zoey said.

* * *

"Mr. Lyman, Ms. Moss is here," a tall brunette announced her.

"Jenny, how many times did I ask you to call me Josh?" Josh said, stepping out of his office.

"One too many, Mr. Lyman," Jenny retorted and then went back to her desk.

"She is cheeky," Josh said, turning to Donna.

"No, she is ballsy," Donna corrected him with a big smile on her lips.

"Yeah," Josh said. "I'm glad you are here," he added then in a low voice.

"Yeah, me too," Donna answered in a whisper, leaning in for a kiss.

"Josh?" Donna heard Governor Bartlet's voice when they were about to deepen the kiss. Josh let out a frustrated sigh which made Donna laugh.

"Yes, sir?" Josh asked politely.

"Josh, when do we see the latest numbers?" Governor Bartlet asked.

"I was about to bring them to you, sir, but Donna just got here and…"

"And you wanted to greet her properly," Governor Bartlet said with a secret wink at Donna.

"Yes, sir," Josh said with an embarrassed smile.

"Okay, I'll leave the two of you alone; as soon as you are ready bring the numbers to my office. Oh, and bring Donna with you," Governor Bartlet said.

"Yes, sir," Josh said obediently and then shut his door. "And now, I really want to greet you properly."

"Okay," Donna said with another smile.

Josh cupped her face with his hands and then leaned in to kiss her. This time they shared a proper kiss before they were interrupted again.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sam shrieked as he quickly withdrew from the office.

"Come back here, Samuel!" Donna shouted.

"Hi, Donna!" Sam greeted her with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, the Governor sent you, right?" Donna asked him.

"Yes, but I swear to God I didn't know why," Sam said.

"No need to feel embarrassed, Sam. We just kissed," Donna said.

"Yeah, that I saw," Sam retorted with a grin.

Josh grabbed his papers in one hand, his other hand found Donna's and then he led Donna into the Governor's office.

"Here are the numbers, sir," Josh told the Governor, and Donna saw as the next President of the United States exchanged an amused look with his best friend.

"Donna, sit down, please," Leo McGarry told her then. "We'd like to talk to you about your future employment."

Donna sat down and so did Josh, still holding Donna's hand in his. Donna saw Leo McGarry's gaze wonder to their joined hands and suppress a smile.

"To satisfy Josh's superstitious tendencies, please treat every word I say as hypothetical, in case I forget to use 'ifs' and such," Leo said with an exasperated look on his face. "So let's talk about your job if we win the White House. To tell the truth, I wanted to offer you a job there but Josh told me that you two are a couple, or are on the way to be a couple or something like that, sorry, he rambled… So, that option is not open anymore. The Governor asked me to be his Chief of Staff should we win, and I asked Josh to be my deputy."

"Should we win," Josh inserted.

"Yeah, I already said that part, Josh," Leo said with a pained look on his face, and Donna would have laughed if they didn't talk about her career.

"But the Governor here promised Josh that he would find a job for you, win or lose," Leo told her.

"Thank you, sir," Donna said. "But you don't have to and I don't want it either. I would like to find a job for myself, but I'm grateful for the offer," Donna said, looking at Governor Bartlet and then at Josh. "I would have asked Josh for a recommendation but since our relationship has changed it wouldn't be appropriate. I wanted to ask you, Mr. McGarry, if that's possible."

"Of course, Donna," Leo told her. "But it wouldn't be a problem. I mean you worked hard for this campaign and you deserve a good job."

"Maybe. But I don't have a degree, sir," Donna said.

"Why not?" Leo asked taken aback.

"I'm a bit embarrassed by the story, Mr. McGarry. To tell a long story short, I thought I was in love and I was young. I dropped out of school to put my boyfriend through to university, he would have paid my tuition once he had a job."

"Law student or medical student?" Leo asked him.

"Medical student, sir," Donna said.

"Alright, Donna. But that doesn't mean you are not cut out for a good job. What you did with the campaign offices was very good, don't forget that," Leo said.

"Thank you, Mr. McGarry," Donna said.

"Okay, we need Josh for the numbers," Leo concluded their conversation.

"Thank you, Governor. Thank you, Mr. McGarry. Josh, I'll go check in with CJ," Donna said.

"Okay," Josh said and Donna stood up to leave. She was barely out of the door when she heard Governor Bartlet's voice.

"Leo, should we make it to the White House ask Millie to investigate that jackass."

"Of course, sir," Leo agreed and Donna went to CJ's office but Sam intercepted her and asked her about her last week on the campaign trail. Donna liked Sam, and they had a good time together. Then Toby bellowed for his fellow speechwriter and Donna continued her way to CJ's office.

"Hi!" a black-haired woman greeted her.

"Hi, I'm Donna Moss, is CJ available?"

"I'm her new assistant, Carol," the woman said. "Yes, she is free, go right in, she said you might come by."

"Thanks, Carol," Donna said and walked into CJ's office.

"Hey, the prodigal daughter has returned!" CJ exclaimed when she saw Donna.

"Hi, CJ," Donna greeted the older woman with a grin. "First of all, who is Millie? And then I have to tell you about my interesting meeting with Mr. McGarry and the Governor."

"Dr. Millicent Griffith, Abbey's friend, and Surgeon General, should we win. They offered you a job hypothetically?" CJ asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, are they really that superstitious?"

"Toby and Josh are apparently discovering a new side of them," CJ said. "And what kind of job did they offer to you, hypothetically, of course?"

"No job for me," Donna said with a grin.

"What? Why the hell not?" CJ asked outraged.

"CJ, they wanted," Donna tried to calm her down. "My relationship with Josh… Well, he would be my superior and we couldn't date and such."

"I see. Are you sure he is worth it, Donna?" CJ asked her, her eyes trained on her friend.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much sure," Donna said with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," Josh said then, stepped in, took hold of her hand and then lifted it to his lips.

"You could have told me that he was standing there!" Donna looked at CJ disapprovingly.

"Yeah, I could have," CJ said. "But I wanted to make sure you knew what you do, no matter where he stood."

"I stand by her side, CJ," Josh said, and then grinned at Donna. "You have got it bad for me, right?"

"Joshua Lyman!" CJ exclaimed, jumped up, hurried to Josh's side and whacked him on the back of his head.

"Ouch, CJ! That hurt!"

"You deserved it, mi amore," CJ said.

"And payback is bitch, Joshua," Donna said with a gleam in her eyes. "CJ, did you know that Josh is so smitten with me that he asked Governor Bartlet to find me a job?"

"You didn't!" CJ howled with laughter.

"I did and I stand by it," Josh said with pride.

"You can be so sweet sometimes, mi amore," CJ said, giving his shoulders a squeeze. "And now, out with you. Donna and I have some serious girl-talk ahead of us."

"You just want to know how good a kisser I am," Josh told CJ with a grin.

"Yeah, Josh, because I really want to know that," CJ said. "Eeww! Not!"

"He is a good kisser," Donna said when Josh left, grinning at CJ.

"You should see your face," CJ warned her.

"Do I look like an idiot?" Donna asked her.

"Pretty much," CJ said. "But you are love's fool, so I forgive you."

Abbey Bartlet invited the senior advisors for dinner and Josh received permission to bring Donna with him. They had a fabulous time, the dinner was delicious; and after dessert they sat outside around a fire and told old stories and talked about the campaign behind them. Donna met Zoey and they discovered that age gap aside they were kindred spirits.

* * *

The operation was over and Donna was asked to leave the observation room. She felt exhausted but she knew that she wouldn't be able to rest until she saw Josh. He was brought in the recovery room, and they were waiting for him to wake up. On her way to the coffee machine, Abbey Bartlet stopped her, and they talked about Josh's recovery in brief.

"He should wake up in approximately two hours," Dr. Bartlet told her. "He will be disorientated."

"Dr. Chambers said everything went okay with the operation," Donna said.

"Yes, that's what the other doctors told me too. Donna, he is a young man, he is strong, he will recover. It will be long, it will be painful, but I know you'll be there for him, so I have the highest hopes that everything will be alright," Abbey Bartlet tried to reassure her.

"Will there be any lingering affects?" Donna asked with trepidation.

"It's too early to tell, but I'll be honest with you, Donna, there will be some long-time effects. He will be most likely sensitive to weather changes and such. And you'll have to watch his diet more closely. I guess he eats healthy when he is at home, but I know how much take-out they consume on those all-nighters."

"Yes, ma'am," Donna said.

Yes, she could do that. She knew that Josh was going to hate that, but she swore again that she would take care of him. Even if he didn't like it. Because that's what married people did, they took care of each other. Besides, his mother couldn't survive another child's death. Hannah told her about Joanie, how their big sister died in a fire, and how that affected Sarah Lyman and the whole family. Josh didn't like talking about his big sister whom he idolized, but Donna knew from his tales that she had to be a remarkable person. According to Josh, she wanted to be a conductor, or a lawyer just like her father. Josh fulfilled the lawyer-part and Hannah the conductor-part of Joanie's dreams. Donna wasn't sure they were aware of the fact that they chose to live their sister's legacy, but she was touched by it nonetheless. And Sarah Lyman lived for her children, she was very dedicated to them. Acknowledging that, Donna promised her that she would take care of her son, two days ago, mere hours before marrying Josh. Sarah Lyman had to endure enough; and Donna was determined to makes sure that she wouldn't lose her son just because Josh didn't like salads. Donna made her promise official with her wedding vow, and she intended to use that ace as much as possible during Josh's recovery.

After asking Abbey Bartlet about the President and the investigation, she went back to the family waiting room and found Sarah and Hannah Lyman along with the Senior Staff and their assistants. She hugged her mother- and sister-in-law and then discovered Charlie, standing in the corner.

"Charlie," she whispered, but the young man didn't look her in the eyes. "Charlie," she tried again. Abbey told her that the young man felt guilty about what happened to Josh. Knowing how much Josh liked the President's body man, she wanted to make sure that they could be still friends once Josh woke up. She knew guilt would stand in the way. "Charlie, he will need you. Once this ordeal is over, he will need you. He will need all of his friends," Donna said, looking up at the others. "And I will need you too, Charlie," she turned back to the young man. "Can I count on you?"

"Of course, ma'am," Charlie said.

"You know how I not approve of this 'ma'am'-business," Donna warned him with a gentle smile.

"How can you be so forgiving? Josh almost died because of me."

"Charlie, that's not true, and you'll see that one day, too. And he didn't die," Donna said and then took a good look around. "So I don't want to see any glum faces, Josh's operation was successful. Yes, the next forty-eight hours are critical, but I'm sure he will be okay."

"He is a strong man," CJ said.

"And stubborn," Toby added.

"Yeah," almost everyone agreed with Toby, and they shared a smile, thinking fondly of Josh.

Yes, there were other lingering effects of that night, the President's secret was disclosed to another person, Charlie's and Zoey's relationship hit a rocky path, Toby's guilt would send him to Ron Butterfield, CJ and Sam would be awkward around each other for a time, and Josh would have nightmares for months. But their strong bond was also fortified, ensuring that whatever came their way they would be able to withstand the hardships because they were together.

**THE END**


End file.
